Sunday, August 29, 2010

Next thursday September 2nd of 2010 I'll present my newest work in an exhibition titled "ERA DORADA" (Golden Age) at the gallery of the University of Sagrado Corazon in Puerto Rico. On this solo show I have included 22 pieces that are composed of drawings and paintings in ink, tempera and oil on canvas and panel. Inspired in Western mythology, religion, art and colonial history I have reinterpreted some of the myths and doctrines of our own Global age.

"Deuscoverymiento" (2010)

"ERA DORADA" (Golden Age) responds to our global age with its current crisis and prevalent mythology. In these oil and tempera paintings on canvas and panel, I have created an anachronistic imaginary world, where pagan gods, heroes and saints are resurrected from the vestiges of a post-consumer landscape. As they emerge from the ruins of a declining empire, we are confronted with the survival of the myth of the "Golden Age". This myth presents a Utopian existence when life seemed to be unspoiled by the proposed set of values from a culture based on profit and consumerism. The work opens up a Pandora's Box of questions about how we got to our present global condition.

"The Secret Box" (2010)

Inspired by recurrent Classical and Christian Iconography in Western art, I paint on small "retablos" adopting Renaissance and Baroque painting techniques. This enables me to emulate previous strategies through indoctrination devices that remit to the time of the conquest and colonization of the Americas. Painting allows me to recreate intimate theater stages where I set up and orchestrate mythical and historical figures into satirical narratives that mirror my world today. Exposing a dialogue with history and mythology allows me to question today's assumptions of the demise of colonialism, borders and the myth of a new global age of peace, prosperity and equality.

"Obamus the lightbringer" (2010)

With the ruling omnipresent corporate global economy that diffuses and perpetuates its myths and doctrines over the globe through mass media we may ask ourselves: what hidden agenda do we finally serve by adopting these myths and doctrines? Where do our views of the current world come from? How was this information modified over time our attitudes towads nature, history and ourselves?

"Arcana 21" (2010)

"ERA DORADA" will open on September 2nd at 7:30 pm and will be exhibited at the gallery of Sagrado Corazon University until October 29th of the present year. For more information in Spanish you may visit the University website at:

Thank you very much for your support and please feel free to contact me by e-mail in case you have any questions regarding my work. You can e-mail me at: retabloarts@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you, seeing many of you at my show and hope to keep producing good work and sharing it with all of you! Future shows will soon be announced!

About this Blog

In this Blog I explore and discuss from an artist's perpective, issues related to contemporary culture, from colonialism to consumerism and how these impact our environment and cultural identities. As an artist coming from Puerto Rico and now living in Houston, Texas, I'm inspired by Spanish Colonial Iconography, Art History, Religious Syncretisms, Comparative Mythology and Pop Culture. I also study the Tarot, Astrology and Alchemy with a special interest in archetypes. All of the issues put forward on this blog derive from these interests and are reflected in my art as well. With these articles I wish to share with the world my own insights into the hidden connections I see between our past and present narratives. The aim is to bring some light into questions artist Paul Gauguin wrote in 1897 on one of his paintings; Where Do we Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?